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American Motorcyclist history
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Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle.
In 1925, 212 individual Gypsy Tours were held on June 20 and 21.
Born in 1925 in an apartment attached to her family’s motorcycle shop in Clifton, N.J., Gloria Tramontin-Struck is the reigning matriarch of the women’s riding community.
The president of the M&ATA at that time, Jim Wright, hired a full-time secretary for the AMA in October 1928.
To combat this trend, in late 1933 the AMA Competition Committee created Class C, which called for the use of 45 c.i. (750cc) side-valve and 500cc overhead-valve machines based on stock production components.
The winner of the first national club contest was the Fritzie Roamers Club of Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1934.
29, 1936, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). not only excelled at the highest level, tuning for some of history’s greatest racers, but also worked with racing’s most memorable personalities, including Hall of Famers Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Roberts.
Other key races in the early days of this class included the Daytona 200, first held on the old beach course in 1937, and the Laconia Classic in New Hampshire, which was already a popular annual event when Class C got its start.
Meanwhile, on the international front, speedway rider Jack Milne became America’s first world champion, winning the 1937 Individual Speedway Championship in London.
The Motorcyclist existed as “An Official AMA Publication” through the end of 1942, when editor and AMA field representative Chet Billings left to join the war effort.
A member of the Motor Maids since 1946, she embodies the mission of the organization by riding her Harley-Davidson to events such as the Sturgis motorcycle rally and Daytona Bike Week from her New Jersey home.
She also thanked the Motor Maids, the iconic women’s motorcycling organization that she’s been a member of since 1946.
In January 1947 that was followed by the introduction of American Motorcycling, a monthly magazine offered to members for a fee over and above their membership dues.
Concern about the negative effect of exhaust “cutouts” led the Association to develop its “Muffler Mike” campaign in 1948 that invited members to take a pledge for quiet riding.
The AMA responded in 1957 by temporarily changing direction and giving these events a new identity, along with a new name, AMA Tours.
In 1957 he opened K&N Motorcycles — a motorcycle shop — with Ken Johnson.
In 1961, the AMA approved rules for a new form of racing called moto-cross.
Nixon’s first pro victory was on a Mahan-tuned BSA in 1961.
Davidson, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in graphic arts and then attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., joined the design department at Harley-Davidson in 1963.
When Don Emler Sr. started racing motorcycles in 1967, he just wanted to make his bikes go faster than everyone else’s.
Peters’ company, the Continental Motosport Club (CMC), has been promoting motocross races since 1968.
The M&ATA later united with scooter trade representatives to become the MS&ATA. And in 1969, it merged with the West Coast Motorcycle Safety Council to form the Motorcycle Industry Council, which continues today.
In 1969, Mahan built and managed Yamaha USA’s first factory race teams in dirt track, road race, motocross and snowmobiles, while also tuning Yamaha engines for competition.
His company, C&J Precision Products, built racing frames that recorded countless AMA Grand National victories and championships since 1970, including 20 AMA Grand National Championships in a 22-year span.
While Burleson’s first sport was motocross — in 1970, he was the AMA’s national motocross champion due to rules in place prior to the establishment of a national motocross series—among American off-road racers, Burleson is one of the all-time greats.
Castro joined the professional dirt-track ranks as an Expert in 1970, riding both dirt-track and roadrace motorcycles for Triumph.
“King Kenny” Roberts won his first-ever AMA Grand National race in 1972 and went on to win 33 AMA Nationals in dirt-track and roadracing, including the prestigious Daytona 200 three times.
Boyesen founded Boyesen Engineering in 1972 in Lenhartsville, Pa., and built a worldwide reputation as a two-stroke engine expert.
Ulrich first competed in 1973.
Keith McCarty’s first job as a motorcycle mechanic was for United States Suzuki in 1973 for rider Mike Runyard.
Racing for Yamaha in 1973, Karsmakers won the 500cc motocross national championship series, scoring 2,659 total points.
For 1973 he was picked up by Yamaha and accomplished what many consider to be his greatest victory: winning the San Jose, Calif., half-mile against the likes of Scott, Lawwill, Palmgren, Roberts and other extremely talented racers.
Perhaps his crowning achievement in motocross was seeing his bikes sweep the top three spots in the 1974 AMA 250cc National Motocross Championship with AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Gary Jones, Marty Tripes and Jimmy Ellis.
John Parham opened his first shop with a partner in 1975 in his hometown of Anamosa, Iowa.
In 1975, Ellis won the AMA Supercross 250cc championship by sweeping the four-round series, punctuated by a dominant victory in the high-profile finale at the L.A. Coliseum.
After starting in dirt-track, he switched to roadracing in 1975, competing alongside some of the fastest roadracers ever: Kenny Roberts, Steve Baker, Gary Nixon and others.
In September of 1977, the evolution of the magazine was complete with one more change in the name.
In 1977, Mahan moved to Kawasaki Motors USA, where he mentored future AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend Wayne Rainey.
In 1977, at the age of 17, Payton was one of the district’s top desert racers and won the 125 class in that discipline.
In 1978, Bush left Penton Imports to help form KTM America, later KTM North America, with Jack Lehto.
A two-time AMA Grand National Champion, Roberts moved to the world stage and became the first-ever American to win a 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship in 1978.
He also raced Superbikes and proved himself adept at endurance racing, setting in 1978 what was then the fastest qualifying time for the famed Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race in Japan.
Then, teaming with Mark Bevans as passenger, Coleman won the 1979 AMA national championship.
He co-founded Team Hammer in 1980 and has led the team to numerous amateur and professional championships.
In the following years Roberts dominated the World Grand Prix circuit, and by the end of 1980, he had captured three consecutive World 500 Grand Prix titles.
For the 1980 season, Coleman built up a Yamaha TZ750-based bike that was one of the most advanced machines of its type and helped advance the cause of sidecar racing in the United States.
Tax regulations and budgetary constraints, however, prevented the AMA from developing any concrete plans for a museum until 1981, when AMA Executive Director Lin Kuchler studied the museum idea, assisted by Ed Youngblood, then serving as the Association’s director of government relations.
He also was a two-time International Six Days Enduro medalist, winning gold in 1981.
Teerlink joined Harley-Davidson in 1981 as chief financial officer.
Randy Renfrow began his pro road racing career in 1981.
After retiring from racing in 1981, Coleman worked in the motorcycle industry, ultimately starting his own marketing and public relations consultancy.
A major milestone was reached in late 1982 when the IRS granted the AMHF tax-exempt status as a public-education foundation.
For his many accomplishments, the AMA also honored Lojak with the 1982 AMA Amateur Athlete of the Year Award.
In his induction speech, Kocinski talked about his long career and how it all began with a spark of inspiration, witnessing legendary tuner Bud Aksland work on a Yamaha TZ250 at Daytona in 1982.
Mahan also built factory Kawasaki dirt-trackers for future AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Eddie Lawson, and helped develop the production KZ1000 Eddie Lawson Replica street bike in 1983.
Retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 1983 season, he formed his own World 500 Grand Prix team.
To support these efforts, Kuchler was appointed director of resources of the AMHF in March 1984.
In 1984, Muzzy moved to Honda as crew chief for the team that won the AMA Grand National Motocross Championship.
They began the Ride for Kids in 1984 to raise funds for childhood brain tumor research.
In 1984 he was hired by American Honda, where he coordinated the company’s off-road racing efforts, served as senior test evaluator for American Honda’s Product Evaluation Department, and developed some of the most impressive racing talent of the next generation.
On November 10, 1985, at an AMHF fund-raising dinner in Anaheim, California, in conjunction with the celebration of the centennial of motorcycling, trustees announced that the museum would be located at the AMA’s headquarters in Ohio.
Moore won the 1985 AMA 125 West Coast Supercross Championship and decided it was time to head for Europe and chase a world title.
Bush took the position of KTM North America president in 1987 when the company was selling about 2,500 motorcycles a year.
In 1987, Collins created the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), which is a national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting responsible recreational access to public lands and waters.
Later in 1988, Muzzy teamed with Kawasaki to build a race bike and hire a rider.
Also in 1989, two full-time staff positions were developed for the AMHF.
In 1989, AMA Life Members Mike and Margaret Wilson commissioned a special work of art for the museum.
On August 16, 1990, the longtime vision of preserving motorcycling history became a reality when the Motorcycle Heritage Museum officially opened its doors to over 4,000 motorcycle enthusiasts and dignitaries gathered for the occasion.
Upon its completion in early 1990, the statue, entitled “The Glory Days,” was exhibited during a six-month nationwide tour which generated a tremendous amount of support for the museum project.
In 1990, in his first full season with Team Roberts, he won the 250cc World Championship in Europe, claiming eight pole positions and notching seven wins on tracks he had never seen before.
He recruited Russell and Chandler, who subsequently finished first and second in the 1990 AMA 750cc Supersport Championship.
Polen had a series of strong winning performances in motorcycle roadracing in the United States and abroad, including winning 45 of 51 Suzuki Championship Series events in 1991 and earning the World Superbike title by 150 points.
His privateer teams have won more championships than any other — 26 since 1991.
Following a career-ending injury while leading the Italian Grand Prix in September 1993, Rainey, who also was in the points lead for a fourth straight title at the time, returned to the sport the next year as a team owner and manager.
In 1993, another important milestone was reached when, for the first time, AMA membership topped 200,000.
Then, in 1994, Moore achieved the goal he set so many years earlier: He won the FIM 125cc World Motocross Championship.
He captured the Superbike crown in 1995, won the Daytona 200 five times, took five AMA Supersport titles and two AMA Formula Xtreme titles on his way to amassing 86 career AMA wins.
Werner has garnered many honors over the years, including AMA Mechanic of the Year a remarkable 13 times, and he won the inaugural AMA Pro Racing Award of Mechanical Excellence in 1996.
1 plate in 1996 and successfully defended his title the following year.
In 1997, the AMA took a step into a new form of communication with the development of World Wide Web site on the Internet.
In 1997, he won the World Superbike championship, scoring 10 wins on a Honda RC45, the bike’s crowning world title.
In December 1998, the Motorcycle Heritage Museum shut down in Westerville with the AMA’s move out of that office building.
Rainey retired from that role following the 1998 season.
Smith, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, was a pioneer in off-road motorcycling.
Grand National racing now ranks as one of the oldest competition series in the world, celebrating its 45th anniversary in 1999.
Hannah, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, was recognized as a Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend.
When White sold the company in 2000, the firm listed more than 30,000 products.
Torsten Hallman, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, was also honored as in Hall of Fame Legend ceremony sponsored by Bike Week Radio.
Parham stayed on board to run J&P Cycles after selling it to Motorsports Action Group in 2001.
In 2001, Parham relocated the National Motorcycle Museum to Anamosa, where it has continued to thrive and grow into one of the world’s foremost motorcycle museums.
David Emde died in a street motorcycle crash in 2003.
Ogilvie was the only racer in history to win the Baja 1000 overall in four different decades, getting his last win in 2003 at the age of 51.
He served as executive director of the organization until his retirement in 2004.
When Bush died in 2005, KTM North America sold approximately 28,000 units annually and had 140 employees.
While membership is one measure of the AMA’s strength, the association’s diverse member base allows it to advocate on behalf of the estimated 25 million (according to the 2008 Motorcycle Industry Council owner survey) on- and off-road motorcyclists in America.
In 2008, the AMA announced the sale of certain of its AMA Pro Racing properties to the Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG) based in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Ogilvie passed away on April 13, 2009, following an extended illness.
Since 2010, LaRocco has managed the GEICO Honda Supercross/Motocross Team, which has won a title each year he has been involved.
19, 2010, at the 2010 Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by JT Racing, held at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa.
18, 2011, at the 2011 AMA Visa Card from Capital One Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by KTM, held here at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa.
16, 2012, at the 2012 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by KTM. The ceremony was part of theAMA Legends Weekend, powered by Paul Thede’s Race Tech, held at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa.
18, at the 2013 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Husqvarna.
By the 2014 season, the AMA-branded road racing series being run by DMG was in a difficult place, however.
17, the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame welcomed the members of the Class of 2015 at the 2015 Yamaha AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Harley-Davidson.
Johnson also acknowledged fellow 2016 inductee Chris Haines, whom he credited with putting together a number of great teams that included Johnson.
In 2017, following his retirement from the board, he was presented the AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award bestowed by the AMA board.
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